By Gray Rohrer
Orlando Sentinel
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — About 50 students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School met with lawmakers Tuesday, telling their stories of last week’s shooting that left 17 dead and urging them to pass gun control measures.
They’re hoping their harrowing stories of the shooting will spur lawmakers to action on bills to ban assault weapons sales, allow law enforcement under court order to confiscate guns of those with mental illnesses or set up a registration of assault weapon owners.
“They have to realize that it shouldn’t have to take such a big tragedy and me losing my close friend, my teacher and all these innocent kids losing their lives protecting each other — it shouldn’t take that to make a change,” said Melissa Camilo, 15, a freshman at the school. “I think that they have to do something about it.”
Sheryl Acquaroli, 17, a junior at Douglas High, was on the other side of the campus when the shooting took place and was able to get to safety. But she recognized a friend in one of the videos of the shooting.
“We were close, we had first period together that morning, and I had saw her just that morning,” Acquaroli said. “I woke up the next morning, found out that my friend Helena Ramsey had been shot and killed. She died protecting other students.”
Some Republican Senate leaders are preparing a bill that would limit assault weapon sales to those 21 and older and place a three-day waiting period on long-gun purchases. But the measures fall short of the complete ban on the sale and transfer of assault weapons advocated by Democrats and Douglas High students.
It’s also unclear if the House and Gov. Rick Scott would go along with the bill. Scott, a Republican, is holding three workshops Tuesday — the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Education and with law enforcement officials from around the state, focusing on school safety and mental health funding.
Scott could unveil proposals in response to the shooting after the workshops Tuesday, but hasn’t specified any gun regulation bills he would sign.
With only three weeks of the legislative session remaining, and the historical trend of the GOP’s embrace of laws that ease gun regulations, Douglas High students face a steep climb to get new gun control measures passed this year.
But the new activists say they’re not going away any time soon.
“I don’t think they understand that we aren’t just going to give up when we get tired, because we are not going to get tired,” Acquaroli said. “We are young, they are old; we are the next generation. When they leave office we will be there to take their places. And we are going to do something if they don’t do anything. So no matter what, change is going to happen and we are going to be sure of it.”
